Coin sorting device



Oct. 2, G J PICK COIN SORTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1953 IN VEN TOR. dol -53:.

BY EA and Oct. 2, 1956 G. .1. PICK 2,764,990

com SORTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 40 Fig. 4

Gunter -J. Pic/r IN VEN TOR.

This invention relates to a coin sorting device and more specifically provides a device for separating coins according to their size into separate compartments.

An object of this invention is to provide a coin sorting device wherein coins are inserted into the device and the coins are separated according to size and depositing them in separate compartments such as are found in a conventional money changer used by newspaper men and streetcar conductors.

Another object of this invention is to provide a coin sorting device which is easy to operate, simple in con struction, and cheap to manufacture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a coin sorting device to be used in conjunction with a conventional mechanical money changer wherein the compartments for the various size coins are not in any uniform disposition.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a coin sorting device which may be used to first sort small coins from large coins, and then sort the coins as to size in each of the small and large categories.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective side view of the coin sorting device of this invention showing the frontal entrance and the relationship of the discharge slots to a conventional money changer;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially along section line 2-2 in Figure 1, showing details of the guideway lower wall and the disposition of the guide chamber and the discharge slot;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken substantially along section line 33 in Figure 2 and showing the disposition of the dime, penny, nickel, and quarter slot of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view having parts broken away showing a modified coin sorting device showing the arrangement of the coin separating means in the downwardly inclined guideway;

Figure 5 is a side elevation view showing the arrangement of the guide chambers in the structure of Figure 4;

' Figure 6 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken substantially along section line 6-6 in Figure 4 showing the details of the openings in the diverging walls and the location of the coin separating cam; and

Figure 7 is a transverse, vertical section taken substantially along section line 7-7 of Figure 6 showing details of the diverging walls, the guide chambers and discharge slots, and the location of the coin diverting cam.

Referring now more specifically to Figures 1-4 in the drawing, it will be seen that the numeral 10 generally designates the coin sorting device of this invention to be used in conjunction with a conventional, mechanical money changer 12 having coin receiving slots 14.

States Patent 0 l 2,764,990 Patented Oct. 2, 1956 The coin sorting device 10 includes a coin receiving funnel 16 which communicates with a downwardly inclined guideway 18, wherein the guideway 18 has side walls 20 and 22, being inclined or tilted from the vertical. As clearly seen in Figure 2, the side walls 2% and 22 of the inclined guideway 18 are spaced apart to receive a single coin at a time and the wall 22 is provided with an opening 24 which is of a size to receive a dime, an opening 26 which is of a size to receive a penny, and an opening 28 which is of a size to receive a nickel. The openings 24, 26, and 28 are covered by a guide chamber 30 which is inclined or tilted in the same plane as the walls 20 and 22. The guide chambers 30 extend below the bottom of the guideway 18 and have a discharge opening 32 at the lowermost ends and these discharge openings 32 are spaced the same distance apart as the slots 14 on a conventional money changer. As clearly seen in Figure 3, the downwardly inclined guideway 18 is provided with a downwardly facing slot 34 which is on the same plane as the discharge slots 32 and is of such a size to receive a quarter and is located at a point remote from the funnel member 16. As clearly seen in Figure 3, each of the openings 24, 26, and 28 are provided with lips 36 which prevent the larger coins from slipping endwise into an opening which is designed for a smaller coin.

The operation of this device will be readily understood. The coin sorting device 10 will be placed over a conventional money changer 12 having entry slots 14 and coins will be deposited into the funnel 16, one at a time, and as seen in Figure 3 the coins will roll down the incline guideway 18 and will rest against the side wall 22 due to the tilted condition of the walls of the coin sorting device. As a coin passes an opening which is large enough to receive it, it will fall through the opening into a guide chamber 30 and thence downwardly and out through the discharge slot 32 into the proper entry slot 14 of the money changer 12. Obviously, the larger coins will pass completely down the inclined guideway 18 and out through the discharge slot 34 at the remote end thereof. The openings 24, 26, and 28 are arranged so that the smallest diameter coins will be discharged near the funnel 16 and the larger coins will be discharged at points more remote from the funnel 16. Obviously, this coin sorting device may be used for as many different sized coins as desired as long as a money changer retains the coins in the same sequence of size relationships.

Now referring to Figures 4-7 which disclose a modified form of coin sorting device, it will be seen that the numeral 40 generally designates a coin sorting device having an entrance funnel 42 and a downwardly inclined guideway 44 having upwardly diverging walls 46 and 48, and an upstanding rib 50 which upstands in the center of the bottom wall of the inclined guideway 44 for dividmg the guideway 44 into two separate guideways having upwardly and outwardly inclined walls 46 and 48. Along each diverging wall 46 and 48 are longitudinally spaced openings 52 which are of a size to receive various diam eter coins and each hole 52 is provided with a lip portlon 54 which precludes the movement of coins endwise or edgewise through the openings 52. As best seen in Figure 7, each of the openings 52 is covered with a guide chamber 56 having a discharge slot 58 at the bottom thereof with the discharge slot 53 being in longitudinally spaced relation and located along a single longitudinal line for the purpose described hereinafter. As best seen in Figure 6, the inclined guideway 44 is provided with a discharge opening 60 at a point remote from the intake funnel 42 which is of the largest diameter of any of the discharge slots thereby accommodating the largest coins to be sorted.

Now looking specifically at Figures 4 and 7, it will be seen that a cam member 62 is attached to the side wall 48 above the bottom of the gnideway 44 and extends thereover and spaced from there a particular distance. The edge of the cam member 62 adjacent the funnel opening 42 is provided with a carnming edge 64 which engages coins of a longer diameter than the distance between the bottom of the guideway and the cam 62 and diverts them towards the diverging wall 46, and it will be understood that the coins with a smaller diameter than the distance from the cam to the guideway 40 will pass under the cam 62 and will proceed down the guideway 44 in contact with the diverging wall 48. This particular modification of a coin sorting device is used where tokens which are smaller than dimes usually are used in public transportation systems and the money changers are'usually not designed to have a uniform size relationship from one end of the money changer to the other end of the money changer. The main reason for the modification is the use of money changers which do not have a uniform size relationship of their coin compartments from one end of the changer to the other end of the changer as in the case of a money changer having a quarter, dime, and nickel slot in sequence. Obviously, the modification may be utilized in this case as well as in the case of money changers having a token compartment.

The operation of this device will appear to be readily understood. Coins are dropped into the funnel 42 one at a time and they pass downwardly along guideway 44 and if they are of a sufficient diameter they contact the cam edge 64 of the cam 62 and are diverted down the diverging wall and dropping into their respective openings and thence through the discharge slots 58 or in case of the largest coin to be sorted it will continue down the wall 46 and discharge through slot 60. However, if the coins are not large enough to contact the cam 62 they continue down diverging wall 48 passing through apertures 52 depending upon their diameter and thence downwardly through the discharge slots 58. It will be noted that the discharge slots 58 and 60 are aligned along a longitudinal axis in order to register with the entry openings of a money changer.

This device may be constructed of any sheet metal stamping or plastic material and may, in fact, be incorporated with the money changer itself if so desired.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A coin sorting device comprising an inclined guideway, a funnel at the upper end of said guideway for guiding coins thereinto, said guideway having an inclined bottom and upwardly diverging side walls, said bottom including a pair of longitudinal coextensive paths disposed in angular relation with the outer edge of each path adjacent the side walls being below the inner end of each path whereby coins will rest against the side walls as they move down the paths, each of said side walls having a series of openings at the juncture with the bottom, said openings being longitudinally spaced and decreasing in size along the downwardly inclined paths, and means between said walls adjacent the funnel for directing coins above a particular diameter towards one side wall and permitting the coins under this size to pass along the path adjacent the other side wall whereby coins may drop through the openings in the side Walls in accordance with their size, one of said paths having an enlarged opening in the bottom thereof remote from the funnel for permitting discharge of the largest coin passing down the path wherein said means including a cam spaced from and extending over the bottom of said guideway to engage the top edges of coins larger than a particular diameter and divert them towards one of said side walls.

2. A coin sorting device comprising an inclined guideway, said inclined guideway having upwardly diverging walls, a plurality of openings in each wall at the lower edge thereof, means for guiding coins into the guideway, a longitudinal rib in said guideway for dividing the guideway into a pair of parallel coextensive pathways, and means for diverting coins over a particular diameter into one of said paths for passage along the wall and permitting coins under such a diameter to move down the other pathway along the wall whereby the coins will pass through the apertures, said diverting means includes a laterally extending cam member secured to one of said walls and extending over the guideway in spaced relation, a cam edge on the ca m member facing the path of movement of the coins, thereby engaging the larger diameter coins and diverting them towards the other wall and permitting the smaller coins to pass under the cam member for movement along said one wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 229,712 Junkin July 6, 1880 454,653 Kirkmeyer June 23, 1891 626,528 Debremond June 6, 1899 657,902 France Sept. 11, 1900 847,438 Ralston Mar. 19, 1907 857,786 Broga June 25, 1907 1,304,937 Bozic .May 27, 1919 2,141,950 Colburn Dec. 27, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,969 Great Britain of 1902 

